


Something Here is Different Now

by jaydickery



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, ish, jaydick if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:29:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22765519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaydickery/pseuds/jaydickery
Summary: Bruce had been on a long, strange trip through time.And while he was glad to be back, things seemed different from how he'd left them.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson/Jason Todd
Comments: 6
Kudos: 161





	Something Here is Different Now

Bruce had been on a long, strange trip through time. And while he was glad to be back, he’d known he’d left Gotham in the safe hands of his eldest son and original partner. Despite his insistence to the contrary, Dick had donned the cape and cowl and been Gotham’s Batman. Bruce couldn’t have been prouder of him. He’d meant to tell Dick sometime. Sometime.

Perhaps sometime when they have some time alone, just the two of them, to work on a case. The way things had been before he'd left.

But something had changed in the time he’d been gone. Something here is different now. And Bruce can’t put his finger on it.

He assessed the obvious: Damian was Robin now. Not exactly a decision Bruce had endorsed, but it wasn’t like he’d been around to stop it from happening. And, to Dick’s credit, the role really had seemed to bring the best out of Damian. When Bruce had gone away, Damian had been a spoiled, entitled brat, selfish and thoughtless, desperate for his approval. The Damian he now knew was very different indeed: he seemed to take great pride in his position as Robin, and while he’d never so much as admit it, it was clear he enjoyed his role as Dick’s partner and lieutenant.

Perhaps it was all simpler the Bruce was making it. Perhaps he’d just been accustomed to being the most important person in Dick and Damian’s life, and now it was like he…wasn’t. 

Now Damian’s head turned toward Dick when he was looking for acknowledgement or praise. And Dick was always there to indulge him with a smile, a pat on his shoulder, a nod of approval. And though Damian did he best to hide it, he always stood a little taller when Dick offered him that validation.

Dick stood taller too. The weight of the cowl hadn’t crushed him, and he seemed more confident and self-assured than ever before. He was a leader, directing his team with equal degrees of authority and warmth. His boy had always thrived when leading a team.

And it was a team he had. Damian, and Tim, and Alfred, and Stephanie Brown as _Batgirl_ , and…Jason?

Jason. Jason’s presence was certainly the most baffling. He thought he’d left Jason in Blackgate. 

But Jason was there in the Cave, leaning casually against Dick’s chair as they examined the computer screen together. Apparently Jason’s relationship with Dick was another to have improved in his absence. Jason had always hated Dick, fueled by a mixture of insecurity and jealousy, forever feeling second best next to the original Robin.

Not that Bruce hadn’t somewhat contributed to that. He knew he had. 

Whenever Dick had come back to visit the manor, Jason’s angry eyes would follow him everywhere.

And Jason’s eyes still followed Dick, but in a new way. And Bruce couldn’t interpret this new look on Jason’s face. He seemed relaxed, calm, content. And when Dick caught his eye, he would look away, almost bashful.

Bruce had never known Jason to be bashful before. 

He stood closer to Dick now. Bruce was sure he wasn’t imagining that.

Bruce was chafing under this new iteration of his reality. And it was showing.

It started when Damian had failed to obey his orders when they were on mission together.

“That’s it!” Damian had yelled once they’d returned to the Cave, “I didn’t come here to be patronized or judged on my ‘performance!’ Find another Robin!”

Bruce’s cheek twitched unpleasantly in embarrassment. How childish.

“The chances of us working on a regular basis as Batman and Robin are zero, Damian.”

“Bruce!” Dick had admonished him as Damian stormed out of the Cave. 

Dick had admonished _him_. 

Rejected by one son, and now being dressed-down by another? This was more than Bruce could stand.

“You stay out of this,” he growled, sweeping away from Dick dramatically, “You may have become Batman against my direct orders, but that doesn’t mean you get to intervene in the partnership of Batman and Robin. That is between me and my _son_.”

The implication was devastating, and Dick flinched back like he’d been slapped. A tinge of pink dusted his cheeks, but he didn’t respond. 

Interestingly, this exchange prompted Jason into action. 

“Hey, asshole, it’s not his fault your son doesn’t respect you. Maybe if you tried listening, instead of always being such a-"

“Shouldn’t you be in Blackgate?” Bruce cut in stonily. 

Jason sneered in a way that was just so Jason, all teeth, and now Bruce was feeling more at home with the world.

“Fuck this. I’m outta here.”

“Jay, _don’t_.” Dick took Jason’s arm. Jason slid easily out of his grip, but seemed to let his hand linger in Dick’s for a moment longer than necessary. 

And when had Jason become Jay?

His motorcycle roared to life, and the errant second Robin was gone in the blink of an eye. Dick looked sad to see him go.

Bruce turned away from his son’s disappointment.

“Now that I’ve resumed my position in Gotham, you can return to Bludhaven, Nightwing. You’re needed there.”

He could feel Dick’s hurt, as sure and palpable as a punch to the stomach. But this was _his_ place. Dick couldn’t just replace him. Dick couldn’t just have everything he wanted and leave him out. Dick couldn’t just leave him behind. Bruce wouldn’t let him. Bruce needed him too.

“Ok.”


End file.
